Back to Wonderland
by UnicornMachine
Summary: Two years after returning from Wonderland, and Alice misses it dearly. Her adventures once she's back in Wonderland. Burton's version. Reviews make me skeet all over the keyboard.
1. Chapter 1

"Well now, Alice, you really must tell me where you get these ideas!" Said Mr. Hamish, as he regarded her latest painting. "It's just so.. Imaginative. I'd expect nothing less from such an extraordinary girl." He beamed down at her. In the two years she had been traveling with him, they had gotten a certain bond. He was like the father she no longer had.

The painting, which, naturally, was of Wonderland, was by far the best she had painted yet. She tried and tried again, to make it just right. It finally was. Ever since she left, she had been longing to go back. She wished she was still plagued with the nightmares she had once had, illustrating her going down the Rabbit Hole. She looked at the faint scratch marks she still had on her arm multiple times a day, to remind herself Wonderland was real.

It was no wonder, when she was younger, that she had forgotten the mystical place. Even now, that she had solid proof it was real, thanks to the scar on her arm, she still found herself wondering if she had gone slightly mad. She wanted nothing more than to visit that place once more, just to prove to herself it was really true. Which was probably why she painted so many pictures of it.

"I've told you a million times already, I didn't make them up. Their images of Wonderland." Alice told him, while gazing into the picture, imagining the Rabbit, the Dormouse, the Mad Hatter.. He was smiling at her, waving. A friendly gesture.. Only one thing wasn't right... "In the picture! Do you see it!?" Alice suddenly shrieked at Mr. Hamish.

"What now?" He asked, looking utterly confused, following her eyes to the middle of the picture. "I don't see anything, M'dear. I suggest you go to bed.. The sun must be getting to you."

"B-But... In the- the picture! The Mad Hatter! He was... Was waving at me!"

"Now now, I'm sure you just imagined it.." He sounded slightly nervous, while eying Alice with a look of great concern. "Pish-posh, I say.. To bed with you! You need your rest."

Alice could not be so easily fooled, however. She put her hand up to her forehead.

"Oh my.. I do think I'm running a bit of a fever.. A good rest is just what I need... It's still rather early, but I'll just retire for the night.. Goodnight, Mr. Hamish" With a quick hug, she hurried off to her bedroom on the ship, with her painting in tow. She was out of the room before Mr. Hamish could return her words.

It wasn't even Six P.M., but Alice dismissed the maid from her room, and locked the door behind her. She sat down on the bed, and looked deep into the painting. Nothing looked back at her, except for the mystical landscape of Wonderland.

"It's not nice to hide... I'd really love to see you." Alice whispered to the painting. She saw one of the colorful flowers move. It was one with a gentle face. It uprooted, and walked a few feet away, re-rooting in a soft patch of earth. Standing right behind the flower, looking slightly awkward, was no other but the Mad Hatter himself. He seemed incredibly interested in his shoes at the moment.

His eyes were a deep blue at the moment, a shade of which she had never seen. She wondered what mood this would be. He took off his Top hat, and dropped down into a deep bow.

"Alice! What a pleasant surprise!" He called, his voice unnaturally high.

"I don't recall painting you into the picture, Mad Hatter." Alice replied, her voice full of curiosity. "How exactly did you get in?"

"Picture? Why- Alice, Dear,- you painted Wonderland from your heart."

"What exactly do you mean?" Alice asked, leaning forward, to get a better look at the Mad Hatter. To any normal person, this would be completely insane. Talking to a portrait, and it responding. Alice had long before expected the unexpected. She knew it was only a matter of time before her life and Wonderland would cross paths again, for they always did. It had, just taken longer than expected.

"You see, Alice, you poured your longing for Wonderland into this picture, you painted it so carefully and with such persistence, that you opened the part of your heart Wonderland was residing in.."

"I-I don't understand... Wonderland is a place.. It's not inside me.. Right? If it were, then it would of all been a dream.. I would of made it all up.."

"Alice, if there was one thing I would of expected you to understand from your multiple trips to Wonderland would be that everyone you know, and every memory you have, resides somewhere in your heart. If you wish hard enough, with enough belief and trust, your widest dreams can come true." He said, with a faint smile.

"I-I painted a-a door to Wonderland, then?" Alice asked, completely unsure of what was going on. "Like the Rabbit Hole?"

The Mad Hatter looked incredibly pleased.

"I'm glad your finally catching on!"

"S-So.. Does that mean, I could come back? I could see you all again?" Alice asked with an extremely eager voice. She had missed Wonderland so much. She had been so afraid that her decision meant that she could never go back there again.

"Of course you can.. Just go through the Rabbit Hole." He winked, and started walking out of the portrait.

"Wait!" Alice shrieked. He looked incredibly alarmed, and looked back at her, stopping in his tracks.

Before she could stop herself, before she even knew what she was doing, a longing to see Wonderland was burning inside her like a raging inferno. She just then realized the true extent of her longing. She jumped into the portrait.

She could hear the deafening air in her ears, completely screaming. She felt a terrible dropping sensation, as she fell through the air. She dared to open her eyes, but could see nothing but the ground approaching alarmingly fast.

Right when she felt like she was going to hit the ground, full speed, a tree lashed out it's branch and caught her, bringing her down gently to the ground. She thanked the kind tree, and looked to her left and right for the Mad Hatter. The moment she laid eyes on him, she ran and embraced him with all her might, burying her face into his shoulder.

He stood there in shock for a moment, but then wrapped his arms around her in return. She started to cry on his shoulder for what felt like an eternity. He just held her, while she let it all out, stroking the back of her head lovingly.

"I-I missed y-you so m-much.." She finally choked out. He looked down at her, trying to find a hidden meaning in what she said. Was it really him that she missed so much? He stopped stroking her hair, and she looked up at him, eyes brimming with tears.

"I thought I'd never see you again." He said, and embraced her tighter still. He buried his head in the crook of her neck, and kissed the flesh there.

He thought she may not of noticed, for all she did was cry harder still. He continued holding her until she ran out of tears to cry, and just stood limp in his arms, occasionally shaking with a dry sob.

"I'm happy your finally home." He finally said, and he could feel her grip on him tighten.


	2. Chapter 2

**_A.N.:_** Jumpin' Jesus on a pogo stick! I'm so happy so many people like my story! :3

Thanks SO MUCH to everyone who reviewed, favorited, or put this story on watch! It means so much. Reviews keep me running, so I'd really appreciate them.. I'm not really sure how much fluff between Alice and the Mad Hatter you guys would like, so help me out! D: There the only pairing I really like, but if your dieing for another of your choosing I'll hook you up. _As long as you call me Big Daddy whilst requesting._

So, without further ado, here's chapter 2!

* * *

"Shall we get moving? I'd not fancy staying in one place too long." A voice whispered in Alice's ear. Alice looked around, and could see the first signs of nightfall in the horizon. The air was crisp and cold, and she could see snow in the distance, blotting out the colorful landscape with white. She separated from the Mad Hatter. It was then she realized how truly cold it was. She missed his warmth, and her skin seemed to sizzle where his touch had been.

"Y-yeah.. It's getting cold, and I'm a little sleepy." She stiffed a yawn, and smiled at him, but he did not return it. He simply looked around nervously.

"Right right.. Getting late. Come now, Alice dear." He put his arm around her shoulders, holding her very close to him in a protective manner, and they set off. Alice had no idea where the Mad Hatter lived, nor had she ever asked him. She hadn't the foggiest as to what he was so afraid of, and, for one crazy, fleeting, moment she imagined the Red Queen bursting through the snow-capped bushes, shouting her signature catchphrase: OFF WITH HER HEAD! She shook away that terrifying though, and rested her head slightly on his shoulder as they walked. She felt his hand tense up on her shoulder, ever so slightly. So slightly, in fact, that she could of imagined it.

While they walked, she filled her head with all the memories she had of her two trips to Wonderland. The Jabberwocky. The White Rabbit in the Waist-Coat. Absolem the Caterpillar. The Red Queen. Chessur. _Chessur?_

Alice saw a large grin floating in mid-air, a few feet from where her and the Mad Hatter were standing. It was so faint it could be imagined, and for a second she thought she did. That is, until it's purple-highlighted body appeared.

"What a lovely surprise! I had no idea Alice was coming!" Chessur, grinning broadly."If it wasn't so late, I'd invite you for tea."

The Mad Hatter tipped his hat, but Alice could see the color of his nails change from green to the very faintest pink.

"She'll have to take you up on that offer some other time, I'm afraid. It's odd to see anyone out late, these days. Dare I ask what you've been up too?" The Mad Hatter couldn't hide the look of suspicion from his eyes.

Chessur regarded him for a moment, before floating lazily onto his back.

"You never were very good at hiding your emotions, now were you, Tarrant?" He grinned broadly, lazily diminishing from view, like smoke. Last of all to go was his grin, which stayed a bit longer than normal.

* * *

Alice sat on the bed in the Mad Hatter's home, resting her head on the headboard, and thinking about all that had happened within the past few hours. She had returned to Wonderland, been reunited with the Mad Hatter, and would soon be seeing all of the friends she would of died to see just yesterday. Everything should be perfect. She just had a horrible, dreadful feeling that something was the matter. You didn't have to be a genius to pick up on it, however. What with the actions of the Mad Hatter, and the odd behavior of Chessur, it was rather obvious something wasn't right.

After Chessur had left, the Mad Hatter seemed in a terrible hurry to get back to his home. He looked over his shoulder so much it looked as though he had quite the terrible twitch. His nervousness was so contagious that he had her doing the same thing within ten minutes of walking, and she hadn't the foggiest as to what she was looking for. The deeper and deeper they got into the heart of Wonderland the worse the weather grew. She had never seen so much snow in her life! It was as if the area desolated in the picture was the only part of Wonderland not coated in a thick layer of snow.

Tarrant's house was just as you would expect a Mad Hatter's house to look like. It was incredibly colorful, there were hat racks on every wall and sewing machines in every corner. It was small, one bedroom and one bathroom. However, it had a certain coziness to it. Cakes and tea pots were on every table, so he was always prepared for teatime. Any normal person would call it incredibly messy, but it was more of an organized mess. It had a certain art to it, and Alice couldn't imagine the Mad Hatter living anywhere else.

There was a knock on the door.

"Alice, I brought up some tea. Are you changed yet?" Tarrant's voice called from the other side of the door. She had been so lost in thoughts she hadn't even had the shirt on properly. She turned her back to the door.

"Yes," Alice replied, hastily buttoning up the over-sized nightshirt lent to her from the Mad Hatter. When he walked in, his eyes immediately went to the window Alice was facing. The shirt was buttoned half-way up, and her breasts were clearly visible. He knew his eyes lingered there just a moment to long and busied himself with fixing her cup of tea. Luckily, Alice had not noticed he had seen anything. "I had no idea the winters were so atrocious here."

"They rarely are." The Mad Hatter replied, sitting on the bed next to her, staring out the window, sipping his tea.

"Why this one, then?" Alice asked him, watching the snow fall. It was putting her in a slightly dizzy, dreamlike state.

"We haven't been having a great deal of luck with monarchs lately, that's all." Tarrant said quietly. Alice gasped, and almost slopped her tea everywhere.

"Not the Red Queen again, right?? The White Queen's still in power, isn't see? I thought the Red Queen was banished!" Alice blurted out, suddenly overwhelmed with shock and fear.

"No, yes, and yes." The Mad Hatter replied gravely.

"What's wrong with the White Queen, then?" Alice shrieked, now positively shaking. She really hoped that whatever was wrong with the Red Queen didn't run in the family.

"She's rather daft these days. You wouldn't recognize her if you met her. Personally believe her to be a bit of a marionette, myself." He looked down at the ground, sadness etched in every corner of his face.

"Wait, so, they're other places like Wonderland? And someone from one of those places is controlling the White Queen?" Alice asked, thinking she put it all together right. Tarrant nodded in agreement.

"Sad as it is, I believe it to be true."

"B-But, your not sure? So you can just look at the calendar, the one showing every single day, and see if anything happens in the future, or if anything happened to the White Queen in the past!"

"Sadly, I cannot. The day you left, the calendar turned to dust. I've no idea why, no one does. It's possible it was burnt in the fire of the Jabberwocky. Very possible." Alice sighed, and put her tea on the nightstand. She looked out the window. One of the many coo-coo clocks on the wall made a noise, and the Mad Hatter regarded it for a second. Instead of numbers, it had twenty-seven various hats. "A bit past bedtime."

"I'll say.. I'm getting pretty tired." She smiled at him, and he smiled back.

"I'll be making my leave then," Said Tarrant, standing up and walking to the door.

"No no! I don't want to trouble you, you can sleep in your bed!" Alice said, slightly ashamed for causing him so much trouble. At this, the Mad Hatter smiled.

"I don't think you would very much enjoy the couch, besides, your the guest." He turned, and made a few more steps towards the door. He was turning the handle when he heard Alice blurt out:

"Why don't we share?"

"That's hardly appropriate." Tarrant replied, taken aback. Although, he thought it wouldn't be bad at all sharing a bed with her. In fact, he'd prefer it.

"Why?" Alice asked, and looked genuinely confused at his response. "I haven't seen you for so long, and I really don't want to be up here all by myself. I get scared." Tarrant figured she was lying, but didn't care.

"Well.. I guess if you really will get scared.."

"Brilliant!" Alice said, and moved over to make room for him. He lied next to her, and the lights were shut out.

They were so close that every inch of their bodies were touching. He moved onto his side, and wrapped one arm around Alice to get more comfortable. She was so warm, it was very nice. Especially the way her body curved perfectly to fit his. He buried his head into her hair, and breathed in her delicious scent. He felt her shudder, and pressed himself more tightly against her, to hopefully warm her up.


	3. Chapter 3

_**A.N.:**_ Thanks for the reviews you guys! You're all beautiful!

The beginning is what I wanted to add to the end of the second, but didn't know if it'd be a fluff overdose. Hope this chapter is up to par~

* * *

Alice felt an odd warmth as Tarrant laid down beside her. _He was pressed up so tight to her. _She was incredibly happy that he was there with her. That way, when she wakes up in the morning, she'll know it wasn't just a dream. She really was back in Wonderland. When Tarrant wrapped his arm around her, she let out an involuntary shudder that had nothing to do with how cold it was. The inappropriate thoughts that she had been trying so hard to suppress were breaking free. His forearm was actually touching her breasts. When he breathed in and out, he pressed harder or softer onto her body. Alice had no idea what was going on, but deep in her stomach she felt an unnatural sense of longing. She didn't understand it. All she knew is she wanted the Mad Hatter to be around a lot more.

* * *

Tarrant woke up that morning before Alice did. The first thing he noticed was a warmth all around his body. Something was pressing against it. He opened his eyes.

Alice must of turned around in her sleep, because now she was laying in his arms, his head had been resting above hers. One arm was under the pillow, and the other hand was resting on her hip. His breath quickened with seeing her in this position. He could feel her breath on his throat. Her lips grazed his neck as she breathed in and out.

He had no idea the proper etiquette for getting out of this situation. Any move could awaken her, and that would bring up awkward questions. After laying there, incredibly confused, for about five more minutes, he opted to slyly wriggle from her clutches. Mainly for the fact that he couldn't take feeling her all around him for much longer. It was so, for lack of a better word, peculiar. Of course he liked the sensation of someone touching him, but, it was Alice. He remembered when she was just a little girl. It took him a full ten minutes to get out of her arms without her awakening.

The moment he was free, he made his way downstairs as silently as he could. By the time he was on the bottom step, it occurred to him that it was probably incredibly rude to leave her in the bed alone, but he couldn't think of anything else to do. She would be disgusted to wake up like that. He should be too. Just.. Why wasn't he? He shook off the thought, and busied himself with making him and Alice some breakfast.

Alice woke up a little while later, sleepily walking down the steps and joining him in the kitchen. While they ate, Tarrant told her more of what had been happening in Wonderland in the two years she had been away.

"S..so you're telling me that since the White Queen rules Wonderland, she's emotionally and mentally attached to every portion of it?" Alice asked, while sipping the tea that Tarrant had handed her.

"How very grave it is." Tarrant responded, nodding sadly.

"So now that she's but a marionette for some neighboring land, whomever is pulling the strings could destroy Wonderland from the inside, without ever setting foot in it's bounds?"

"Exactly so. Now you see the true volume of our problem? We could be being attacked by a neighboring or foreign land, we'd never know, and we'd never be able to prove it until they come to take over." He paused for a moment and looked out the window, contemplating all the snow. "That, however, is just a rough guess. I'm rather impressed with whoever is doing this. No amateur could pull this off."

"I still don't understand how they could penetrate the castle unnoticed, nor how they could slip something to the White Queen! How could that be allowed?" Alice slapped her hand down on the table to emphasize her point. It did nothing but annoy her teacup, who stood up, said a few choice swear words at her, and dumped the hot tea down her front.

"Do pardon the teacups.. They do get quite offended easily.." Tarrant said casually, examining a spoon, while Alice jumped onto her feet in shock. The Mad Hatter threw her a hand towel to dry herself. She caught it, and sat back down eying the teacup with a look of great resentment. "Well, you know the White Queen," Tarrant went on as if nothing happened, " She always puts just a bit too much trust into people. She might of let him in personally, or one of her guards could of not been paying attention on his shift. The Red Queen was terrible, curse her soul, but, you have to admit, she got things done."

"But you wouldn't think he'd go in personally, would you? I mean, he must be in some position of power to be able to pull this off," She waved her arm in the direction of the window. "It could of been anyone. They could have even took control of someone who worked close to the White Queen and had them do it." Alice said grimly, while patting her shirt dry of tea.

"Exactly so. But, to put take control of someone so successfully. You'd need to be an expert. Whoever it was probably had this all planned out for ages until they acted. Whatever their plan was, I could almost guarantee you it was executed perfectly. The White Queen may be too kind for her own good, but, certain members of her guard are far from it."

"How do you know it was someone from a different land, though? Couldn't it be someone right under her nose?" Alice asked nervously, her thoughts going back to the Red Queen.

"Well, such magic is incredibly foreign to Wonderland. Only a select handful could of studied it." He saw the nervous look on her face, and quickly added, "But the Red Queen had no brains in her. Incredibly thick, you know? Never in her life could she pull this off."

"Can't we rally all the people who were against the Red Queen to help? I'm sure if they knew what's been going on, they would of acted already!"

"I wish I could. This weather is nothing compared to what it's like by the others' houses. I'm planning on moving when the seasons change again."

"How long has it been winter?"

"It's been quite some time. We're due for a change soon, I bet you. Oh! That reminds me," He got up and walked over to a sewing machine in the corner of the room, and took off the cloth that was covering it. When it was off, Alice realized it wasn't a cover at all, but a dress. It was a very beautiful light blue color. "I figured you wouldn't fancy wearing my clothes you know, so I made this a bit ago.. It's fine if you don't fancy it much, but I just assumed it woul-" He was cut off by Alice hugging him tightly. He stopped talking immediately, and hugged her back. Alice kissed him on the cheek, thanked him, and said she would be down soon wearing it.

When she disappeared up the stairs, he snapped out of his shock. The skin on his cheek seemed to sizzle, and he wondered just how much she meant by the kiss. It was obviously to thank him, but, he couldn't help, deep down, wishing it was something more. He absentmindedly stroked the skin on his cheek where her lips just were, thinking about what excuses he could find to kiss her in the future.  


* * *

Alice shut the door to the bedroom behind her quickly, blushing feverishly at what she had just done. Of course he would understand it was just to thank him, but, in the bottom of her heart she wished she had more excuses to kiss him like that.


	4. Chapter 4

**_A.N.:_** :D!!!!!!!! You guys don't know how much I appreciate you're support! You're all so beautiful!!!~~~

Especially those of you who've been following Alice since the beginning!

* * *

The days blended together, seeing as there wasn't much to do. Her days consisted of waking up to an empty bed, seeing as Tarrant always woke up before her, going downstairs and breakfasting with him. Then she would watch as he made her various articles of clothing. Between lunch and dinner, she would play games with him, talk to him about the tragedies devastating Wonderland, and things of that nature.

It was just, something was wrong. Her whole day was based around Tarrant. He had been her only companion for over two weeks now. Of course, he was always incredibly entertaining, with all his odd dances and silly chatter. She was just feeling as though she was, for lack of better word, depending on him too much. He was all she ever thought about, dreamed about, she even fantasized of them living like this forever. She honestly wanted nothing more.

But deep in the pit of her stomach, she felt this terrible sense of longing that got worse and worse every day. She had no idea what was causing it, but, she had this burning desire to do something. She passed it off as anxiety due to what had befallen her favorite place, but, it seemed to double when she was touching Tarrant. Be it at nighttime, when they were pressed so close together, talking about their hopes and dreams, or while he was showing her some fun new dance, the moment their bodies touched, she became painfully aware of it.

She was upstairs, and supposed to be trying on a new nightshirt that Tarrant had just finished for her. When their hands touched as he handed her it, the sense of longing jabbed through her stomach like a sword, more noticeable then ever. She knew he saw the look on her face, and that he noticed she didn't embrace him or anything in thanks. She sat on the bed.

She began to weep. _He's going to hate me now.. I don't think I can even touch him anymore.. It's starting to hurt even when I look at him.. What's wrong with me?

* * *

_

Tarrant was incredibly enjoying his time spent with Alice. It was nice to have a companion in his house, almost like a room mate. He had always lived alone, but, was normally outside, so he never thought he needed anyone. Ever since god-knows-what happened to the White Queen, he had felt terribly cooped up. He was even considering facing the terrible weather to visit anyone who could assist him in saving Wonderland.

Curiously enough, the weather had not changed from the freezing snow. Tarrant looked outside, but all he could see was black. He had made Alice a new nightshirt, and she went upstairs to try it on some time ago. Something was wrong with her, though. She had been more and more distant lately. He had taken to making her things, because he was always rewarded with a sign of affection.

He had no idea why he longed to see her smile, laugh, or embrace him so much. He had an incredibly odd feeling whenever she was around. He tried his hardest not to dwell on these emotions, because nothing good could come from them. They were painfully hard to ignore at nighttime, when he was touching her, and her him. Of course, it was all innocent, Alice would get scared sleeping by herself. He was just perverting it into something it wasn't.

Every morning, he made sure he woke up before she did, so she wouldn't know the inappropriate position he normally woke up to find them in. Sometimes, braved by his own daring, he would stroke her hair, or even once brush his lips across her cheek. He hadn't found a good excuse to show signs of affection towards her, as she constantly was doing to him. He constantly wondered what she meant by it.

He knew he probably did something wrong this time. He racked his brain trying to figure out what exactly he did. When she took the nightshirt, she had a certain, almost pained, expression on her face. She didn't embrace him, or anything of that nature. She just said she'd try it on, and be right back. Maybe he was coming on too strong. Perhaps she was getting sick of him.

He had no idea as to why it bothered him so much to be starved of her affection. It was all friendly, right? I mean, it's not like she _fancied_ him. That would be more insane than he was. He mentally scolded himself for even thinking that.. But, on the inside, he knew his mind had kept slipping back to it.. Whether he acknowledged it or not, he knew there was just something.. Something about her.

_That's disgusting. _He thought to himself. _She trusts you. You would know if she fancied you or not, don't you think? How dodgy do you think she already thinks you are? That would more than double if you were trying to have it off with her._

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard something like crying coming from the bedroom upstairs. He went up to investigate, trying to make sure he wasn't heard. He was right next to the door. Yes, it was definitely Alice, but why was she weeping? He knocked gingerly, not fully sure if she would hear him.

* * *

Alice jerked her head up, at hearing knocking on the door. Immediately, she terribly regretted crying.. How would she talk herself out of it?

"Y..Yes?" Alice shakily asked, her voice thickly laced with tears.

"May I come in?" Tarrant's smooth voice asked.

"Of course.." Alice barely choked out, before, in spite of herself, returning to her sobs. She heard him come inside the room, but couldn't bare to look. She was so stupid. The knot in her stomach doubled when he sat on the bed next to her, and touched her arm, asking what the matter was. This all made her cry harder still. She felt him embrace her, and stroke her hair lovingly. She knew if she told him how she felt, that would all be over.

Her skin burned as Tarrant left a trail of kisses on her moist face, as if he was trying to lessen her pain. It was so comforting, nothing like she had ever experienced before. She bit her lip painfully, fighting an internal battle, until returning his affection. In a moment that was more like a century, their mouths met. She wrapped her arms around him tightly, never wanting to let go. She felt as though so much emotion was in the kiss; transferring from his mouth to hers. It was then that she realized what she had been longing for all this time. It was him. She loved him._ Tarrant._

She had never been kissed before; it was thought of as unappropriated before marriage at her home, but, she had no idea how much she was missing out on. She moved back on the bed a little, until in a laying position, Tarrant right above her. She held one of his hands tightly in her own, her other stroking the back of his neck.

What had once been kind and comforting was now growing heated and passionate; she felt his tongue on her lips, asking for access. She opened her mouth in welcome. She savored his taste, as his tongue explored every crevice of her mouth. She just wished she was half as good a kisser as he was.

She felt like she was feeling too many things at once, in the best way possible. He parted from her mouth, and his kisses started traveling farther and farther down. She gasped as he reached her neckline, slightly nibbling on the delicate flesh. He suckled on her collarbone. She tightened her grip on his hand as she felt him venturing even lower..

She became painfully aware of the pressure on her leg, coming from his erection. She was scared to see where this would go, but, was ready to do whatever he wanted.. She had been waiting for this moment. She just didn't know she was.

But then, suddenly, he stopped. He jumped up, off the bed, and stared at Alice in terror.

"What have I done?" He said, in barely a whisper. Alice stared up at him in confusion, her face still flushed. "N-no.. I can't believe this.. I'm sorry, Alice." He had the oddest look on his face; a mixture between terror and regret. And without another word, he hurried out of the room, shutting the door behind him. Before it shut, Alice could of sworn she heard 'So sorry' repeated again, in the barely audible whisper of a voice on the verge of tears.

Alice stared at the door for a few moments, contemplating what just happened. She figured that she had done something terribly wrong.. Something that couldn't be forgiven. She felt like she was going to cry again, but found that she was all out of tears. She sat there, silently, for what felt like hours, internally daring herself to descend down the steps, and help Tarrant as he had helped her; but, she couldn't find it in her heart to do so.


	5. Chapter 5

_**A.N.:**_ OH MY GOD I'M SO GLAD TO HAVE THIS CHAPTER OVER WITH. Every time I went to save it, I'd lose everything I wrote and have to rewrite! D: It's probably not as good as my original, but, I still think this is good.. D:

* * *

Alice couldn't sleep that night. Never before had she noticed just how cold and big the bed was without Tarrant. She just stared at the door, hoping Tarrant would bound though it. He would be acting as if nothing happened, and possibly be ready to show her a new dance, or tell her a funny story. He never came. Multiple times she heard him come up the steps, and put his hand on the doorknob. She'd have an internal battle for a moment, wondering whether to pretend to be asleep or not. But every time before she decided, he had already abandoned the door and walked back down the steps.

She sat up, resting her back against the headboard, and listened downstairs for movement. She could occasionally hear him; he would sometimes pace, or mumble to himself. Quite a few times she heard something that sounded devastatingly close to weeping. She longed to go downstairs and comfort him, but, she knew he hated her now. She just wished she knew what she did. She would apologize in an instant she did; she'd do what she could to make it better.

She replayed last night's advents in her head for what felt like the millionth time. Their intimate moments together felt like the most pleasant dream. It killed her to know that something she did in that short span of time made him hate her so. Each idea was crazier than the next, her most recent was that she wasn't good enough, which didn't even explain the apologizing.

She looked out the pitch-black window. She knew the sun should of risen long ago by now. Apparently the weather had changed yet again overnight. For once, her and the White Queen's emotional states were perfectly in tune. She looked at the clock, squinting hard to make out the picture in the dark room. The only hand on it was pointing to a particular flamboyantly-feathered party hat. She hadn't the foggiest as to what it was suppose to mean.

She sighed as hunger rippled through her stomach. She knew she would have to go downstairs and confront Tarrant eventually. She couldn't stand hearing him pace around, or weep. It's what he would do for her. It's what he _did_ do for her.. Helping him though this.. That's the right thing to do, right?

Alice sat on the bed, silently persuading herself to go downstairs and comfort Tarrant. Ever so slowly, using every ounce of confidence she had, she stood up, and took a step towards the door. With each step, a negative thought would race through her mind like lightening.

_I think you've done enough damage to him already, _A voice inside her said, _I really doubt the poor bloke could take anymore. Are you seriously going to attempt to force your company on him? He obviously wants to be left alone. Don't you think he hates you enough already?_

She silenced the voice by putting a hand on the doorknob. Ever so slowly, she turned it, and opened the door. She crept down the stairs as if her death was waiting for her. On the bottom step, she had almost convinced herself it was the right thing to do to leave him alone and go back up the stairs when she saw him.

He was hunched over on the sofa, his face in his palms. He was weeping silently. It frightened her to see him like this. Alice stood at him, taking in this image for a few moments, until swallowing a hard lump in her throat, and walking over to him. He seemed not to notice her standing there, so she sat next to him, and put an arm around his shoulders.

"What's the matter?" She asked him softly, as if speaking to a child. He looked up at her, his eyes full of sadness.

"Alice.. My dear Alice." He said quietly, whilst embracing her. "What a lovely morning it is, do you not agree?"

"Tarrant, why were you crying?" She asked quietly in his ear, not letting him let go of her. He flinched slightly when she said his name. "What did I do that was so wrong?"

"W-what did you do? You're terribly mistaken.. It was what I did.. I should of never.. to you of all people... It's understandable that you wish to leave now.. Rather disgusting of me.. Can't believe it myself.. F-forcing myself on you.. like that..." He broke off into inaudible mumbles, before gripping her tightly. She could feel his body shake with the silent sobs, and feel the hot tears running down his face. She ran her fingers through his hair lovingly until he calmed down.

"Y-you what? It.. It wasn't anything like that.. I.. I.." Alice broke off, trying to find the right words to fit her feelings. "I like it when you're touching me." She finally said, in barely a whisper into his ear. Under any other circumstances, she would feel terribly awkward saying those words. Right now, in the darkness, while holding him, it felt right. She was more sure of it than anything else in the world.

"Y-you don't have to lie." He whispered back, she had to strain to hear him. "I-I am obviously far too old for you.. You deserve someone so much better.. I.. I'm so sorry.. I really don't know what came over me.. I really can't understand why I acted like that.. I'm just so-"

Alice never exactly found out what he was. At that moment, she was so flushed with emotion, a mixture of love and affection, and several more she couldn't identify, that she pressed her lips to his, cutting off his talk. Fire exploded around her lips, from the feeling of skin on skin. She tried to tell him so much through it. She could only hope it got through. She believed it did, for he found her hand, and held it tightly.

She never wanted to break apart from him; she felt so much emotion moving from his body to hers. They were pressed tightly together attempting to show each other just how much feeling they had been holding back this whole time. Alice knew that this was love. She had thought she experienced it last night, but was sadly mistaken. This emotion took no identification. Deep inside, she knew.

She had never felt like this before; it wasn't nearly all physical as it was before. She had a huge wave of understanding towards him; she felt as if she had gained something. A new room to her heart that he would reside in. Just him.

Through that kiss, she was rewarded with a part of him, forever living in her mind, in her soul, residing somewhere deep in her heart.

_Forever._


	6. Chapter 6

_**A.N.:**_ Time to make up for all the slowness of their relationship! :D

I know a certain kbird213 that will simply adore this chapter.

* * *

"Shall we go to bed, Alice, dear?" Alice heard Tarrant whisper in her ear. She was lying in his arms on the sofa. She stifled a moan as Tarrant started placing light kisses on her neckline. It felt like hours ago that they confessed to each other, and had spent the time since ever so wisely.

"I do believe that's the best idea you've ever had," Alice said, griping his hand tightly as he resorted to sucking and nibbling on the delicate flesh to get a rise out of her; she let out a low moan, and turned her neck to an odd angle to meet his lips.

She was, however, dead tired due to not sleeping at all last night. She had been up worrying she had done something to extremely upset Tarrant. She knew he hadn't slept at all either. She really didn't want to leave his arms, but, knew she would be right back in them once they got upstairs.

As she got up and walked up the stairs with Tarrant, she had an odd feeling in her stomach. It wasn't like the feeling she had when it was painful to touch him, but, she still could put her finger on it. She was incredibly nervous about how her life with Tarrant was going to change now, and what everyone else would think..

Also, the weather had changed last night.. Tarrant said that they would get moving on their plans to help the White Queen once the weather changed to something more bearable. It was pitch-black outside, but, she'd rather face that any day than all that snow.

Lost in her thoughts, it seemed but a moment until she was walking into the bedroom, the door being held open for her in a kind gesture by Tarrant. He walked in and shut the door. For a moment, she stood there, thinking awkwardly about what they were suppose to do.

It was there first night as a couple. Okay, it wasn't really night, just dark out. But still. She knew what couples _did_ once they were married and all.. She felt like it was too soon for that, but, she didn't feel like he expected her just to get in bed and fall asleep like they used to. She finally decided to just follow Tarrant's lead.

She turned around and looked at him. She couldn't distinguish what expression he held in the dim light. She was momentarily thinking whether he had actually expected them to just get into bed and fall asleep like usual when he put his hand on the back of her neck, and pressed his lips to hers.

This was nothing compared to the types of kisses they were preforming downstairs, but, it felt almost _better_, in a way. It seemed the change of location gave their kisses a more.. well.. erotic feel. His signs of affection felt more private here, like a prized rare gift.

It may have been the sensuality of the kiss; possibly the way he was so warm in her arms; her longing to feel that heat more intensely, maybe. Whatever it was, it caused her to brake the kiss, and take his hand, leading him to the bed. They tessellated together again, and fell onto the bed in a tangle of limbs.

She had before decided that it was the better idea to just go with it; possibly if she had decided to put on the breaks, she wouldn't be feeling all the intense emotions that her current position was stirring up.

She could feel so much. Under any other circumstances she would feel like she would explode. She could feel her skin still burning were his lips had touched; his hand that was still clasped tightly in her own; the need to devour every inch of his flesh; the want to know exactly where he wanted to be touched; a burning heat radiating from somewhere in her stomach; multiple emotions swirling around her head; yet, she felt oddly content. She knew she was exactly were she was suppose to be. They each left one hand from each others grasp, as to be freely able to explore each others bodies.

They changed the position they were laying in, so he was sitting up, with Alice facing him on his lap. Alice didn't know much about the male anatomy, but she knew enough to know he had an erection; it was painfully jabbing her in the thigh. She had felt it before, of course, while they had been touching and kissing each other. She just hadn't worked up the courage to touch it. She swallowed hard, and brushed her hand against it;

* * *

Fire exploded from the head of Tarrant's erection, all the way down to his fingertips; he had been painfully hard for some time now. He instinctively bucked his hips upward at the sensation. He wondered if Alice had done it on accident, but right then she did it again.

The second time was much better. Alice let her hand stay there for a moment, rubbing his erection through the fabric. Tarrant let out an involuntary moan, and bucked his hips out even harder. It had felt so good; almost too good.

Of course, he was no amateur, he had pleasured himself quite a lot. But, never before had it felt exactly like this. Alice's eyes met his for a moment, and she whispered the words that sent chills running down his spine.

"May I?" She asked, without breaking eye contact. He could feel his face flush at the pure bluntness of the statement. Unable to find words, he simply nodded. "The fabric.. I can't g-get to it properly.." She mumbled immediately breaking the eye contact. He scrambled to get his pants off in a hurry, kicking them and his undershorts unceremoniously onto the floor.

Never before had he felt more self-conscious than when he sat there, everything in total view of Alice. Of course he trusted her completely, but, terrible thoughts were rushing through his mind. Alice silenced them completely by stroking the head experimentally.

He savored that small interaction for all it was worth, barely containing himself from bucking his hips up. Alice, apparently pleased by the reaction, found new courage and started working her hand up and down the shaft, experimenting with different pressures, and individually rubbing parts with her thumb. It seemed the most sensitive part by far was the head, which, when rubbed in circles could get a real rise out of him.

She made a mental note to the parts that made his hips buck, the parts that gained her a moan, and which would make him bite his lip. She was thoroughly enjoying giving him this pleasure, and was thinking of different ways she ought to stroke it when he grabbed her hand that she had been stoking him with.

His length was slick with precum, and she knew it was just a matter of time before this happened. She looked into his eyes, and he looked back.

"_Please._" Was all he was able to choke out, in the faintest whisper she had ever heard. That small plea nestled somewhere in her heart, and she felt a rush of affection towards Tarrant.

She moved her hand, and started rubbing the head in quick circles, with the pressure he seemed to like most. Tarrant could feel himself tightening, with that same queer feeling that something was about to happen; that something had to happen. His throbbing member was positively begging for release. He couldn't last more than a moment.

He grabbed Alice's free hand tightly with his own, and Alice pressed her lips to his; he gripped her hand as tightly as he could, while she kept rubbing away.

Finally, it happened. A warmth spread all throughout his body, as he felt his hot seed spill onto his abdomen. He shut his eyes, and saw white; he felt a sweet relief flood all over his body. The grip on Alice's hand quickly vanished, and he said nothing for awhile, basking in the afterglow;

All at once, he felt the tiredness of his orgasm and not sleeping last night hit him. Flooded with warm relief, he wanted nothing more than to fall asleep, in a warm bed, with the woman he loved. And that, he did.


	7. Chapter 7

**_A.N.:_** This story's rated M for a reason! D: If you can't handle sex, find a different story;

Thanks for so much support, you guys! :D It makes me so happy.

Please pardon any typos; I typed this fast.

* * *

Tarrant slowly awoke in the pitch-black room. He kept his eyes shut, trying to hold onto the tails of an exceptionally wonderful dream. It was already foggy, but in it, he was doing certain, well, _erotic _things with Alice. Feeling sly, he smiled, and held a sleeping Alice tighter.

When his senses returned to him, it dawned on him that it wasn't a dream. Recapping last night, he realized he had fallen asleep without giving Alice compensation for her actions. He hadn't even cleaned himself up. Only, he couldn't remember getting dressed.. He felt his abdomen, and couldn't feel the reminisces of last nights experience.

With a surge of affection for Alice, he realized she had cleaned him up and dressed him when he was sleeping. He kissed her on the cheek, and she stirred slightly in her sleep. He stroked her hair absentmindedly, while mentally scolding himself for just falling asleep like that, until she slowly woke up.

He was afraid she would be annoyed at the serious lack of retribution he showed her last night. He had even been thinking out how best to word his apology when she smiled sleepily up at him. He could hardly see her in the dim light of the oil-lamp. She looked incredibly sleepy, with very messy hair. It looked as though she was just wearing an over-sized shirt and panties.

He couldn't think of a time when she was more beautiful.

"Good Morning," She mumbled, sounding incredibly groggy. She squinted in the dark to try to see the hat-clock. "I never could understand that thing." She said, while distastefully eying the clock. Tarrant regarded it for a second in the dim light.

"It appears to be seven in the evening," Tarrant said, while reaching up to turn up the oil-lamp, giving the room much more light. They were silent for a moment. Tarrant felt like it was an awkward silence, and thought Alice was expecting some sort of apology for his actions. "So.. About last night.." He said, very quietly. Alice looked at him confused. He then noticed that the reason she had been silence was that she was attempting to fix her hair. He suddenly felt very stupid for bringing it up. Alice was quiet for a moment, and he hoped by some miracle that she hadn't heard him.

"I really hope you're not going to storm out of here again apologizing.." She hugged her knees, and was suddenly very interested in her toes. "I-I told you before.. I.. I _like_ you.." She finished quietly, with a very radiant pink blush.

Tarrant sat gaping at her for a moment. It was like she hadn't even noticed that he completely fell asleep on her. He bit his lip.

"No.. No, nothing like that.. It's just that I.. Well, you know.. Could of been... Better.. No.. It's just.. I.. I feel like I.." His voice was growing steadily quieter as he mumbled out his attempt at an apology. He stared intently at the clock. _Left you completely and utterly unsatisfied, _He finished in his head. He could feel Alice's eyes on him, and could practically picture the confused expression on her face. She probably had her head tilted to the side, with her lips slightly parted.

"Is this about you falling asleep?" Alice asked. Tarrant cringed at the pure bluntness of the statement. He feebly nodded, his eyes still intently on the clock. It was now Alice's turn to stutter. "It's not like I minded... It sort of made me happy.. Caring for you like that.. I hope it didn't make me look.. Well.. You know.. Creepy, I guess." She finished quietly. Tarrant had never known anyone act more positively adorable then now.

"I thought it adorable." He said, shifting his gaze to her. She looked up at him, locking eyes, and he smiled down upon her. She looked away, blushing slightly, smiling quite hard.

"Oh?" He said, his voice filled with interest. Tarrant got closer to her, and brushed his lips softly against hers. "What seems to be embarrassing you?" She proceeded to look away, her face incredibly pink at this point, and mumbled something. "Pardon me, I couldn't quite catch that?"

"N..Nothing.." Alice mumbled quietly. Tarrant embraced her, and started whispering in her ear.

"It doesn't seem like nothing." He said, his lips brushing her ear with each word. This sensation sent shivers down Alice's spine. "Come on, tell me... You can trust me." Alice shook her head no, smiling profusely. "Don't worry.. I can always find out.." He said, kissing her lightly on the mouth again, as his hands started wondering. Alice gasped when one of his hands touched her breast through her shirt's fabric. Tarrant took his opportunity, and put his tongue into her mouth. Slightly shocked by his own boldness.

Her response to the kiss showed she was more than okay with him acting on impulse. She wrapped her arms tighter around him, as she let him dominate her mouth. She made a slight gasp as he slid his hands under her shirt, but showed no sign of protest. He tried to make sure he left no skin of her abdomen untouched, mapping it out in his mind. He got incredibly close to her breasts when he stopped. He suddenly felt incredibly insecure, and didn't know how exactly to.. Well, he had never been with a woman before.

Alice, obviously puzzled by the stop of his hands, broke the kiss and looked at him, with a shy expression on her face.

"Y.. You can touch them.. You know.." She said, not meeting his eyes. He smiled and started to lift off her shirt. She showed no signs of protest, but, did look incredibly embarrassed once it was off. Tarrant regarded her body for a moment. She looked so beautiful. Sitting on his bed in just her panties, looking intently at the floor, a pink blush across her face. The light from the oil-lamp seemed to dance about her body, shading it in exactly the right places.

She by no means had a voluptuous body; but, he couldn't imagine her with one any different. She was neither too thin, nor too heavy. Her breasts, by no mean large, were just right. Her light pink nipples were hardening in the bare air. Her skin was the most beautiful milky shade he could of ever fathomed. She was beautiful, by every definition of the word.

Apparently feeling his eyes on her, her blush extended to an even deeper pink. She was incredibly interested with the floor, and biting onto her lip painfully; she could almost taste blood. She moved one hand to her neck, and held it there, absentmindedly.

Hellbent on devouring every inch of her perfect flesh, Tarrant embraced her, incredibly enthusiastically, and got to work sucking and nibbling on her neck. Alice gasped loudly at the abruptness of the act, but, loved the sensation all the same. She laid on her back, with one hand on the back of her lover's head, stroking his hair.

She instinctively arched her back when he reached her nipple; he started lightly sucking on it. With the way he was acting, she figured he was trying incredibly hard to keep from hurting her in his eagerness. She egged him on with her moans and sharp intakes of air until he was roughly sucking, with a few light nips. It hurt her slightly, but it definitely was a good kind of hurt, if there was ever such a thing. She could feel him growing increasingly hard, as his erection dug into her leg.

After a moment, it started to become the bad kind of hurt. She figured she could just take it, but, it was starting to hurt incredibly bad. She had no idea how to tell him to stop without hurting his feelings;

"T-Tarrant.." She said quietly, making sure it sounded more like a question than a moan. He stopped and looked up at her.

"Yes?" He asked.

"T..That's just a little too.. Well, hard." She said quietly, regretting asking him to stop when she saw the blush that formed across his face.

"O..Oh, well.. I'm glad you said something.." He said, just then noticing how red her nipples had grown due to his current assault on them. With a huge drop of confidence, he had no idea what to say next. He could feel his erection wilting with his embarrassment;

* * *

The more Alice thought about it, the worse idea it seemed to tell him to stop. Now she felt incredibly embarrassed, and had no idea what to say. She was indescribably thankful when she heard a knock on the door. Apparently Tarrant was incredibly thankful too, for he jumped up and off the bed in record time.

"I-I better answer that.." He looked down at his attire, which was nightclothes. "Oh no.. B-Better change first.." He grabbed clothes from the dresser to his right, and bolted out the door to change. Alice stood up, and started putting on clothes for the day; she tried to keep her mind away from how she just ruined the moment between Tarrant and her. It then occurred to her that the only friends she had seen in Wonderland were Tarrant and Chessur.

With renewed joy, she threw her clothes on as fast as she could, momentarily fixed her hair in a mirror, and rushed down the steps to join Tarrant. The moment she heard Tarrant's voice, she knew something was wrong; it was missing it's usual cheer. She didn't know any resident from Wonderland that could give him that type of cold voice.

She took the last steps slowly, and peaked around the corner. Standing in the doorway stood the most handsome man she had ever laid eyes upon; he was slightly taller than Tarrant, with tanned skin and dark, shaggy, straight, hair. He was thin, but, from his body radiated this enormous aura of power. To either side of him stood terrifying creatures she had never seen before, not even in the Red Queen's castle.

"Oh?" He said, in a smooth, relaxing, voice lased with interest, his eyes on Alice. "The records said you lived alone. Of course, because you didn't know about the new rules, I'll let it slide. However," He snapped his fingers and a giant cricket, dressed in a black suit hopped from behind him, holding a notepad. He flipped though it for a moment, and then settled down on a page.

"Name?" He said, in a high-pitched voice, staring at Alice. Before Alice could say anything, Tarrant interjected.

"Ivory Geiselstout, my partner."

"It's not on here, Sir." The cricket said to the tanned man, flipping though his notepad vigorously. The tanned man raised an eyebrow.

"And why exactly would you domestic partner not be listed as living in Underland?" He asked.

"She's not from around here." Tarrant said, poorly attempting to keep his voice casual.

"Is that so? Please come here." He asked Alice, his beautiful blue eyes seemingly boring into her soul; she walked around the corner and over to Tarrant, and nodded. The tanned man's expression noticeably softened upon seeing Alice in full view. "I'll take your word for it this time, Ms. Ivory, but, you'll have to live in the foreigners section of the castle; don't worry, it's quite nice. Just until we get you listed as a resident and clear your background." Tarrant looked livid.

"I apologize, but, I cannot let you barge in here and take away my woman!" Alice blushed profusely upon hearing him describe her as 'his woman'.

"It's law." The tanned man said with noticeable frustration in his voice. "You will be able to visit her, and she may freely roam the castle, to an extent; but she may not leave the castle grounds, by order of the second amendment of the foregin pol-" Tarrant cut him off.

"That's unjust! She's been here longer than you have, I daresay!"

"That matters not; I'd like you to keep a respectful tongue when talking to you're new King." And with that, he held out a hand, which Alice took nervously. He led her out the door, and with one last fleeting look at her lover's sad face, the door was shut.


	8. Chapter 8

_**A.N.:**_ HAY GUIEZ. Omg, so, how about an incredibly wondaful user, AnimeGoth92, is featuring this story on her polyvore account!

I really appreciate all of the reviews, guys. :3 You'll all so sweet~

Sorry about how boring this chapter is.. D: It's mainly plot development.

* * *

Everything started to go blurry for Alice while being led down the path that led to Tarrant's house by the new king. It seemed her legs were moving of their own accord. Even though he was speaking loud and clear, she could only faintly hear him. Only bits and pieces she couldn't comprehend. Biting her lip, she tried in vain to piece together what had just occurred. Her memory of the last half hour was already fuzzy.

_I-I was in the house.., _She thought,_ With Tarrant.. Upstairs, and then.. There was a.. Knock on the door.. And Tarrant went downstairs.. And, this.. This man said he was the new King.. and there was new laws, right? And I had to be registered.. Yes... That's what happened.. Well that shouldn't take long.. But he said I'd have to stay at the castle for awhile.. But Tarrant can visit me.. It wont be that bad.. Right?_

She was finding it increasingly hard to keep a clean head. She remembered her and Tarrant planing out various strategies to get into the castle.. So, this was good, right? A-and what did he say to act towards the new King, in case we met him beforehand? Every time she thought deeper into what just happened, her mind went blurry, as if trying to pretend nothing was happening.

_Was it to be careful around him?, _She thought, _Or maybe it was to try to befriend him? Possibly resent him? Ugh. Who am I kidding? I haven't the foggiest as to what to do._

She barely registered when her legs stopped moving. This brought her to a state of semi-consciousness. She noticed a very large carriage in front of her in the dark. Since it was darker than night, she could hardly see a few feet in front of her. Although, she wasn't noticing much of anything since she left the house.

The carriage was a light royal purple, with an odd crest embellished on it's sides. Alice could hardly make it out, but, in black and white silk was a circle with an ankh inside it. Inside the loop of the ankh was an eye. She stood there trying to figure out what it meant when she heard the King's voice.

"No no, there will be no need for that, yet, anyways.. I told you, we'll see in a moment." She turned around, and saw one of the hideous monster-creatures was holding a thick bundle of rope. She took a step back. "Ladies first." The tanned man said to her with a smile. She very reluctantly faced the carriage again.

The giant cricket opened the door to the carriage, and a silk colored carpet rolled out, stopping at where her feet were now standing. She hear one of the odd creatures make a throaty noise, and she thought for a moment she would feel the ropes binding her. She tensed up for a moment, but, it never came. So, she took a careful step on the carpet.

"Go on now, nothing will hurt you in there." She heard the tanned man's voice say, so she took a few more steps, and walked inside the carriage. She noticed only one seat. Turning around, to look at the tanned man though the door. It looked smaller than when she first walked in.

"Are you not coming..?" She asked quietly when she noticed that no one had moved after she did. She looked at the carpet, which was starting to slowly roll up of it's own accord. The places were her feet had touched it burned bright white, like molten silver. A few of the hideous creatures actually started grunting, with what she could only presume was laughter. The tanned man was ignoring them, and staring intently at the carpeting, a very puzzled look on his beautiful face.

"I shall accompany you." He said. The creatures stopped grunting immediately. She couldn't see their faces in the dark, but, she could imagine a very stupid, very confused, look on their large, brownish-gray faces. She could hear the cricket starting to talk faster and more high pitched than ever.

"B-but Sire, I don't think-" He started

"Then you shouldn't speak." The tanned man said simply, walking towards the carriage. Now that she was looking straight through the door, she noticed it was in fact shrinking. Immediately, the cricket started making incredibly muffled sounds, as if he was trying to protest but couldn't get his mouth open.

The door was now roughly the size of a window, and shrinking ever-faster. Without further ado, the tanned man slipped though it. Alice heard something drop to the floor, and noticed right across from where she was sitting a chair fell out of nowhere for the tanned man. He walked over, and sat in it. Facing Alice, he begun talking to her.

"You may refer to me as King Jonas," He eyed were the carpet now was, curled up at the base of the door, now a pure white color. " You may, however, call me Jonas. Like I told you on our pleasant walk over here. I would like to think you were listening, but that matter is up to discussion." He said with a smile. Alice didn't know what to say back, so just met his eyes, smiled quickly, and went back to looking out the incredibly small window. Within another moment the window was nothing but a pin-prick. A second later, it was gone.

"How does it do that?" She asked quietly, still gazing at where the window was. You would think it would be darker than midnight inside the enclosed carriage, but it surprisingly wasn't. It wasn't painfully bright, but, there was an odd yellow flush of illumination coaxing every corner of the carriage. It seemed to have no start or end, and upon examining every corner, she believed there to be no oil-lamps, or any light givers of that sort. "And where is this light coming from?"

"That's a good question." Jonas said thoughtfully, looking around at the light with a great air of interest. Alice had no idea what he meant by the statement, so became very interested in her feet. She looked up for a moment to see him looking at the ceiling, apparently looking for the light source, as she just had. When he looked up, a small cornicello on a chain appeared from under his white undershirt. He eyed her nervously to see if she had seen. She quickly looked down, pretending she hadn't. He stared at her for a few seconds longer, and apparently decided she hadn't seen a thing. He tucked it back into his shirt.

She slowly started slipping from her shock on the ride to the castle. She started to notice things again as she normally would have. She even started to think a little clearer. She looked at Jonas properly for the first time. He was wearing an outfit identical to the one most of his guards were. A black suit, black slacks, highly-polished leather black shoes, and a pin-striped white undershirt. The breast pocket had a white handkerchief protruding out, and was embellished with the same symbol she had seen on the outside of the carriage. In other words, he looked incredibly sharp and over dressed.

And those.. Those things.. That he had brought with him up to the house. They were at least twice as tall as him, and thrice as broad. They had ridiculously saggy skin; at least twice too big for their bodies. And these.. These almost tusk-like things protruding from their mouths. Their noses were lop-sided and their faces proportionate in various ways. Their skin varied from different shades of gray to brown; she had never seen anything like them.

Lost in her thought, it seemed but a moment until the window-door started to appear again. It was exactly like watching in shrink, just in reverse. It became big enough to walk through at the precise moment the carriage halted. She looked at Jonas who was standing up, and extending to her his hand, in a very gentleman-like manner. She jumped up, suddenly very eager to get out of the carriage. She got up a big too fast, or, maybe she had been sitting longer than she thought.

Either way, she had suddenly felt incredibly dizzy and weak legged. Jonas put his arm around her shoulders so she wouldn't collapse. She was quickly overcome with nausea, and it took all she had not to get sick. Once she was able to stand on her own again, he reached to his neck and pulled out a triangular vile. The bottle was shiny, and filled with incredibly clear liquid. The silver chain it was on glimpsed feebly in the light.

"Here, drink up. You'll feel better." Before she could protest, she felt an odd liquid being forced down her throat. It was colder than ice, freezing every bit of her it touched. Immediately, her nausea was gone. Only, she felt.. Well.. Odd. And unmistakably warm.

* * *

With a thud, Alice hit the floor of the carriage. She was completely and utterly passed out. Before totally blacking out, she could of sworn she saw Jonas smiling at her falling, tucking the chained vile back around his neck and down the front of his under shirt.


	9. Chapter 9

With an extremely violent jerk, Alice bolted up at the table she was currently leaning on. The teacup that was next to her hand got knocked over. She stared at it for a moment, wondering where she was and what had happened. The familiar teacup glared at her, and walked huffily to the other side of the table.

She followed it with her eyes, and saw Tarrant sitting at the other end, examining a different cup with great interest. She hadn't the slightest idea why, but, when she saw him relief flushed over her. He didn't seem to notice her at first.

"T-Tarrant.. I-" She began to say in distress. She had to tell him. She needed to tell him.

"Yes yes, I know. I've been waiting patiently for some time now. I daresay my patience is running rather thin," He looked back to her, a look of slight annoyance on his features.

_That's right..._ She thought, _I'm about to tell him.. _She was overcome with joy at the thought of telling him. What exactly she was going to tell him, however, she hadn't the foggiest. All she knew was she had to tell him. He needed to know.

Her heart pounded in her chest, and echoed all throughout her body. The beat ran all the way down to her fingertips and toes. She was all alone now, in a room filled with murky green water. She looked all around, but, couldn't see Tarrant anywhere. The place she was at was most unfamiliar, and the dim light that was carried in by the water was terribly ominous.

Her hair flowed angelically in all directions as she took in her surroundings in the calm water. There wasn't an end to it in site. For some reason, she didn't have the need to breathe any longer. Another heart beat.

She was sitting at the table, across from Tarrant. She was completely and totally dry, however. She never had time to dwell upon this thought, though. For the familiar urge to tell Tarrant something, some secret, was flooding all of her desires. It was stripping her of all other thoughts; she couldn't do anything but tell him. She tried to open her mouth, but couldn't. She was too scared to tell him. _Heart beat._

She was totally submerged in the calm, green, water again. It had a certain decency to it. The way it calmed her, the way it made her stop fretting about telling Tarrant some stupid little secret. He didn't have to know. He wasn't here, anyways. She tilted her head to the side, to get a better view of a door in the dim green lighting. She daintily swam over to it, not wanting to disrupt the calm aura of the waters. _Heart beat._

Again she sat at the table across from Tarrant. This time, he was eying her with poorly masked irritation. One eyebrow was slightly raised, as if he had been expecting her to say something. She didn't even have a chance to feel the urge to tell him this time; another heart beat came almost immediately, leaving her with this image burnt into her mind.

She had no idea where she was, this time. It was like her two consciences were fighting for control. The murky waters and the kitchen were flashing in and out of her vision like strobe lights. She closed her eyes to fight off the nausea the images were causing. She could no longer feel her body; the feeling of the water, and the feeling of sitting in the kitchen had pushed her senses to the max. All she was aware of was the images flipping all around her, and the pulsation running throughout her body. She felt like she couldn't take it anymore, and bit her lip as hard as she could, begging it to stop.

And stop it did. It didn't slow down gracefully as it had started up, but stopped immediately. Almost the same moment she had wished it away; it completely took her breath away, and she was left gasping for air. Lights broke out in her vision from having them clamped shut so tightly. She had an odd feeling all throughout her body. The feeling of absolute.

It almost felt as though she didn't even have a body. She was barely aware of anything. She laid in the odd abyss for what felt like years; she was no longer aware of how much time had passed. But ever so slowly her senses started to come back to her. She could semi-feel her body. Only the parts that hurt extremely bad she could sense.

After tallying which parts hurt, she slowly started opening her eyes, afraid of what she might see. The water. She could feel it now that she saw it; winding all around her, calming her. She decided that this was a safe place. Nothing could touch her. The water wrapped around her in such a definite, absolute way that she could barely bring words to her mind that described it properly. Now that she knew she was in it, nothing hurt any longer.

Looking just in front of her, she could see a steady stream of red gracefully floating in the water. Beautifully winding and twirling like smoke in front of her eyes. It was coming from her lip. After feeling it for a moment, she realized she had bit clean through it. But it didn't hurt; and when encased in the protection of the water, she knew it would be okay.

And there she saw that door again. For whatever reason, she could see it much more properly now. It was large, bold, and slightly ornate. She figured at one time it must of been a very grand door; it just had to. The black and gold paint was chipping and peeling, but it was beautiful nonetheless.

She looked all around the room, trying to find more doors. There may have been. For some reason, she wasn't registering things right. She could see them, but, when she tried to decide what they were, her intelligence failed her. One thing was definite; one thing was absolute; she had to see behind that door.

She knew behind there was the thing she had to tell Tarrant. She didn't know what it was, and could hardly think about Tarrant at the time, but, it was behind there. She had never been more sure. She just didn't know how to open it. She looked at it confused for a moment.

It had no handle, no hinges, no anything. It was just a big, bold door in the middle of a blank stretch of stone wall. She kept staring at it as if the answer would just come to her. It didn't seem like a good idea to touch it, for some reason. It had to be handled very delicately.

While reasoning, she could feel an almost _evil_ presence coming from the door. The more she thought about it, the stronger it became. It wanted out of the room. It was pulsating through the water, disrupting it. The water was slowly turning dark black as an inky substance started pouring from the cracks in the door.

The closer they got, the worse the ominous feeling inside her grew. As one almost touched her, she saw a fleeting imagine of herself in a dark room, trying to push away a strange man.

Alice tried to scream but no sound came out. She started wishing that it would stop; it was scaring her. Suddenly, thick, rusted chains protruded from the walls and held the door shut. Alice watched in wonderment.

_Did I make it do that? _She thought as all the inky substance retracted back into the door, as if in reverse. _I don't like this.. I.. I want out of here.. I.. want.. to.. forget...

* * *

  
_Alice awoke with a start in an odd bedroom. She was breathing extremely heavy, as if she had just run a marathon. She had a thin layer of sweat all over her, and she was gripping the bedsheets as tightly as she could. Her eyes darted around as she tried to make sense of her surroundings.

"Ahhh.. Ivory, dear." A male voice said. She quickly turned and saw a very familiar man sitting in an armchair across from her bed. He looked tired, as if he had been there for awhile. "You've had quiet the rest, wouldn't you say? Two whole days, poor Tarrant has been worried sick. Of course we couldn't let him in without your consent."

"T-two.. days... Tarrant.." Alice started to choke out. Her voice cracked as if it hadn't been used in awhile. She couldn't remember the dream she had. Something about an ocean, maybe.

"Yes, yes. I just couldn't live with myself if I left your side. I felt it almost my responsibility that you fell and hit your head." He said with a tired smile. She felt a rush of affection towards him, which stopped immediately when she remembered the odd liquid he gave her.

"W-wait.. I remember.. You g-gave me liquid.." Alice said. Talking had never been harder than now.

"Yes. Anti-nausea medication you had a terrible reaction to. Unless you're not who you said you are, your body should of been used to the chemicals in it. I have no idea why it harmed you." Jonas said thoughtfully. He had a certain air to him. As if you just had to trust him.

Alice tried to fight the strong sensation to thank him, and tried to move on with her interrogation. But, anything she could say would probably give her away.. And Tarrant would be in a bad situation, also. She should of known medicine from this world would hurt her.. Ugh.. How could she be so stupid?

She decided to not say anything, but stare at the ceiling for awhile. A bit later, Jonas got up, and asked her if she'd fancy having lunch with him. She was painfully hungry, so she accepted. Away they walked together, but, she couldn't fight the feeling something was wrong.


	10. Chapter 10

**A.N. **Bawbcaboose wants my nuts.

* * *

This isn't right. There's something terribly, terribly wrong about this place. These thoughts and more flooded every corner of Alice's mind, as she sat there spooning soup into her mouth, across the table from Jonas. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't put her finger on what exactly was wrong about her being in the castle.

It was almost like the harder she tried to think about it, the foggier her memory became. Soon, Tarrant was nothing more than a name, and a faint memory of a face. Some dull emotions were stirred when she thought about it, but the more she did, the more they dulled.

She could physically feel herself falling madly in love with Jonas. Just, something about him. She had no clue what it was. Something that reached deep into the pit of her heart, and just lingered there. He wasn't particularly funny, but every small joke he made made her laugh heartily. A polite comment from him would make her blush crimson. She felt if he ever criticized her, she would surely die of shame.

The more she thought about him and his excellence, the less she thought about how particularly strange these affections were. It was almost like getting drunk, the more soup she ate, the more she fell for him. And he just kept encouraging her.

"Ivory, you're looking so thin. Eat more, all I want is for you to be healthy."

"Have you ever thought about the future? I really enjoy your company. Once everything gets worked out, it really will be quite dry around here without you. If only you could stay. Eat up, sweetness."

"Your smile just lights up my day, Ivory. There's just something amazing about you, dearest. Shall I get you more?"

His words, sweet and thick as honey drifted around her head as he got up to get her more soup. _How humble of him,_ she thought with a blush, _servants all around, yet he insists on getting it himself. What a dear._

A dark crimson spread evenly across her face, and disappearing down her neckline darkened as he came back, showing her that amazing smile of his. While she eagerly spooned more into her mouth, a drop dribbled down to her chin when he met eye contact with her.

He smiled and moved in closer, pushing away her hand, and slowly licking the drop from her face. Her skin burned like fire where he had touched, then cooled down to cold steel as the air hit his saliva. She shivered, and he moved in closer, sealing her enchantment with a kiss.

His face felt cold as ice against her burning red one, and she knew at that moment that she had never loved before him. All thoughts of Tarrant were completely and utterly removed from her mind, as she entwined her fingers with his. He pulled away, and cupped her face in his hand.

"Ivory, my love," Her heart sped up at an alarming rate. "I.. I don't know how to say this properly, so you must forgive me," So humble of him, oh she could never hope for anything more, "I just.. I just want you to be with me. Forever."

"Y..You mean.. No, you couldn't.." She couldn't even form a coherent sentence, for she was so wrapped up in his stare. He smiled lightly.

"Please.. We can be wed, Ivory. I've never loved until you. Soon, it has to be soon." She was so overcome with emotion, she couldn't even say a word, just nod yes, tears running down her face. She sniffed a few times, and tried to wipe them away on her sleeve. Jonas just smiled as if this were the cutest thing in the world.

"I love you." She finally said, after many pauses to wipe away more tears. She had no memory of ever saying those words before, nor feeling the emotions rushing inside her. The thought that she had almost no knowledge of this man never even crossed her mind. It didn't even matter to her anymore. She loved him, absolutely and purely.

He hugged her tightly, and whispered in her ear all the wedding arrangements they'll make. Her dress fitting, the cake, he told her everything could be done within the week. It seemed so soon to her, but, the sooner the better, when you're so in love. She smiled and fell deeper into his embrace. Everything was going to be okay now. She smiled.

There was a problem, however. While he was whispering of his plans, he mentioned a name. Tarrant. Something about him getting in the way. She didn't know this person, but when she asked about him, Jonas just told her he was a bad, bad man. An enemy of the kingdom, in fact. Jonas made him sound so horrible, that he'd try and ruin their happiness. She hated him.

Jonas held her there, for a long while, assuring her that everything was going to be okay, that it would all work out. He would have guards, and no one would ruin their wedding. They were going to be together forever.


	11. Chapter 11

**A.N. **Bawbcaboose still wants my nuts. Jus' sayin'.

* * *

Alice scrutinized herself in front of the full-length mirror in the room Jonas had provided for her. She was wearing a white wedding dress, with small pearls sewed into the fabric. Or, at least she thought they were pearls, until they started changing colors.

The bright white of the dress was sadly only a few shades lighter than her ghostly-pale appearance. Small blue veins were visible under her skin in some places. She gave a small smile at her reflection, thinking the change of her expression would maybe make her look more appealing.

The pearls started changing colors again, frantically glowing and switching colors until settling on a dark navy blue. She looked over to one of the maids Jonas had sent to help her get into the mountain of a dress, who simply smiled.

"I'm sorry to bother you about this, but, why are these pearls changing colors..?" Alice asked, uneasily. The maid gave a confused face.

"You mean the Juytus, Lady Ivory?" The maid said slowly and carefully, as if she were being tested.

"Juytus.." Alice said, trying to think back if she had ever heard of something called that before. Her memories outside the castle were fuzzy, but she thought maybe she had heard of them before.

"Sir Jonas told me they were ones you two picked together, while strolling his gardens some years back, Ma'am." The maid said humbly, with a smile. "Are you feeling well? I'd 'magin you'd be dead with excitement."

Alice thought long and hard about what the maid had said. Gardens.. She didn't immediately remember strolling any gardens with him, so she decided it must of happened while she was outside of the castle. She smiled back at the maid.

"I remember now, sorry. And yes, I could die from the nerves!" She said with a small laugh, giving another spin in front of the mirror to make sure she looked good. The maid was about to say something when there was a knock on the door. Alice quickly directed her vision towards the door, and took a step to open it when the maid stopped her.

"Ah ah ah!" The maid said in a smooth, motherly tone. "A bride must not see her husband the day of their wedding. I'll go attend to him, you just pretty yourself up some more, there's some powder in the drawer to hide those veins." The maid left the room, leaving Alice all by herself.

Alice absentmindedly walked towards the large dresser by the window, to retrieve the powder when she stopped dead in her tracks. The window was opened, and an unfamiliar man was climbing through. Alice stared at him, wide-eyed as he straightened his clothing and adjusted his hat. Her heart started racing as he looked up and smiled at her, a big gap-toothed smile.

"Alice!" He said excitedly, and started walking up towards her. "I'm so so so sorry it took so long! This place, it's a bloody fortress! Now, we don't have much time for sentimental stuff at the moment, that lady can't be distracted for too long." He was standing right next to her now, and staring at her like she were the most interesting thing in all of Wonderland.

He reached out with one hand, and ever so gently touched her face. He was so hesitant, as if he feared she would break from such a slight touch. He smelled of sweet teas and flowers.

"My dear Alice, I have no idea what they've been doing to you here.. You're so thin.." He stepped closer, and his other hand was caressing down her body, just the silky fabric of the dress between them. "Please forgive me, please."

He was so close to her, she could feel his breath on her, warm and sweet. He wrapped his other arm around her, and kissed her, his lips rubbing on her mouth, feeling as smooth as honey. He broke the kiss when they heard footsteps, and her lips were on fire.

The man looked at the door nervously.

"Please, Alice, we must leave now." He took her hand, and started leading her towards the window when she stopped dead in her tracks. He looked at her, confused.

"Who are you?" She finally managed to say. Her legs were shaking, eyes full of fear. She quickly yanked her hand away, and took a step back. Words cannot describe the look of pain on his face.

"What did they do to you..?" He asked, in barely just a whisper. He reached his hand out, to try and touch her face, and she slapped it away. Another step back.

"Alice! Please!" He said hastily, his gaze shifting from her, to the door, to the window. She didn't even know who this Alice was.

"My name isn't Alice. I do not know you. I want you to leave." Her voice was shaking. She had no idea what she was feeling. She held up one shaking finger towards the window. "Now." Her heart was racing, she felt like she were about to hyperventilate. He looked so sad, she couldn't even look him in the eyes. She had to stare at the ground.

With one swift move, the man grabbed her outstretched hand, and placed in her grasp a small vial. When she looked up, he was already out the window, just as the door opened. Her head quickly darted towards the door, and she was relieved to find it was only just the maid returning.

Upon seeing her, in her flushed appearance, the maid questioned what was wrong. Alice thought long and hard about what to say to her. The intruder, she knew for a fact, she had never met a day in her life. Yet, something about him made her want to trust him. She swallowed hard, and smiled at the maid.

"Just nerves." She said shyly, looking at the ground. The maid gave a laugh, and led her to get her makeup done, counseling Alice about her marriage experience and tips for her nerves. The whole time, unknown to anyone except her, a small vial stayed clutched tightly in her hand the whole time.

Inside the vial was a dark black liquid, condensed and strained until it was black as night, the opposite of what she had taken before. On the vial was a little label, with the words 'Drink me." printed clearly on it.


	12. Chapter 12

**A.N. **One more chapter, then we're done. c:

* * *

Alice stared at her reflection, breathing heavily. It was now or never, she doubted her bathroom excuse would last much longer, and she couldn't think of anything else to get alone. She took a few deep breaths, staring at the ominous liquid in the vial.

She knew, deep in her mind, that she probably shouldn't be drinking it. She didn't know where the advice came from, it was like it just floated in her mind. Don't accept things from strangers. Maybe her mother told her? But who was her mother? The thought disturbed her. Maybe this liquid had her answers.

With that fleeting thought, she pulled the cork out of the vial and drained the liquid down with one gulp. The moment it hit her tongue, heat radiated. It burned it's way down her throat like lava, and she could feel it travel all the way down to the pit of her stomach. Burning the whole way. She could practically feel the beginning of blisters in her mouth and throat.

She felt the wetness of tears streaming down her face, and looked in the mirror. For a brief second she worried about her makeup, as it started running. She opened her mouth to see no blisters or heat burns. There was no trace of blackness in her mouth, which mildly surprised her.

The heat was still in her stomach, but much less intense now. She could even feel the heat radiating from some droplets that were still rolling down her lower throat. She leaned against the wall opposite the mirror and waited to see what happened.

The heat, predominately in her stomach, was almost radiating. Spreading across her body. The heat lost it's intensity as it spread, so it wasn't an entirely uncomfortable feeling. It was just, odd. She blinked a few times, and looked in the mirror, hoping for some guidance.

Her same pale reflection stared back at her, not at all changed by the liquid. She left the bathroom, disappointment heavy in her gut. She didn't know what she was expecting, but that surely wasn't it. Nothing was boringer than nothing.

She walked back to her room, and allowed the maid to fuss over her make up, yet again. She honestly did feel bad about ruining her eye makeup for nothing. Especially when the maid had to apply so many layers just to make her look normal.

While the brushes and creams were put on her face, she chewed over the strange man's words. He had called her Alice, a completely unfamiliar name. But, now that she really thought about it, it was somewhat familiar. And the way the man looked. He looked completely crazy in a delightful sort of way. There was something comforting about him.

If she thought hard about him, she could almost loosen several facts about it. Maybe she had met him before, a really long time ago? She wasn't used to having stores of information about anyone, so it was most curious.

"Ah, there, we're done. Now don't you look beautiful?" The maid's voice interrupted her thoughts. She looked at the face in the mirror, and couldn't help but agree. With the proper amount of makeup, she really could be beautiful. "Now, I'm just going to disappear for a second, to bring you back a bite to eat. Any requests?" Alice smiled politely.

"Anything's fine." The maid nodded and with another kind smile she hurried out of the room. She couldn't believe her luck.

She waited a few moments after the maid left to start formulating any sort of plan. Jonas. She had to find Jonas and ask him about that man. Hopefully then she would get some answers. She didn't notice it at the time, but her mind was clearer now than it had been, well, since ever.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. She looked to it, wondering why the maid was back so soon.

"Ivory, dear, I know I shouldn't be here, but I just had to see you." Jonas's voice came in a hushed whisper. She stood and quickly walked to the door. She took a deep breath and opened it, knowing she probably shouldn't.

To say Jonas looked handsome would be a severe understatement. Alice blinked a few times, comparing him to the man she had seen earlier. Between the two, well, that wasn't even a fair contest, honestly. Jonas's beautiful eyes were gazing into hers lovingly, and she wondered fleetingly why she ever doubted him.

But, there was something else there. Something she hadn't before noticed. He almost looked a little… Aggressive. Dominant, almost angry? A look she remembered seeing a long time ago. Why she didn't remember before now she had no idea but couldn't help but think it had to do with that black liquid.

She remembered seeing that look before. She was hiding behind Tarrant, scared out of her mind. It was the day he took her away from Tarrant. Oh god, what has she been doing?

She inhaled quickly, taking a shaking step back from him. Think. She had to think. Tarrant hadn't left her too long ago, chances are he would still be on the castle premises. He wouldn't of just left her there. She knew him.

If he could get into her window he could probably get into other places, too. Her heart thudded against her ribcage harshly as she formulated a plan. It was weak and a long shot, but she had to have trust in Tarrant here. He wouldn't let her down.

Jonas looked at her, confused.

"What's wrong, dear?" He asked, slipping his hand in hers. Okay. It was now or never. She smiled sweetly.

"We're not suppose to see each other.. The maid will be back soon," she said softly. He smiled down at her.

"I suppose you're right, but we'll be seeing each other again in a matter of hours. I just wanted to say I love you." He leaned down and kissed her softly on the mouth. His touch burned, but for totally different reasons than Tarrant's did.

"I love you too," she eventually willed herself to say. He smiled, kissing her again, and quickly headed off down the hall. Another minute later the maid was back, carrying a tray of soup for her. Alice eyed it nervously.

"I don't think I could possibly eat," she said, letting worry into her voice. "I think I'd get sick, I'm painfully nervous." The maid nodded understandingly.

"I still say you should try at least a little, dear. You're so thin," Alice smiled at her. She truly was hungry, but there was no telling what was in that soup. More of the clear liquid, perhaps? She couldn't risk it, not now.

While Alice was being held captive in the castel, she had no way of knowing what was going on in Wonderland. She had no way of knowing a revolution of sorts was being planned. If she had known how important it was for her to drink the black liquid, she would of the moment it was handed to her. Because, quite honestly, they were banking on it.

Tarrant smiled proudly at his little group. Bayard, always the Alice fan, had volunteered immediately for a resuce mission. His pups, now grown up, were in on it too. Bayard's knowledge of the castle had been very helpful. Even the Bandersnatch had volunteered, much to Tarrant's surprise. Mallymkun was there too, to throw in ideas where she could. He knew she was really mainly there to oogle him, but she was good with a sword, so he wasn't complaining.

"Well, that's that then. Let's get this plan into motion," he said, to much applause from his group.


	13. Chapter 13

**A.N.** Hi everyone. I doubt anybody will read this, but I just didn't feel right leaving this story unfinished. I think I just lost interest in the pairing, which made this kind of hard to write. It was seriously painful reading all the chapters in this because I feel like I understand grammar and writing a lot better now (smh at obvious typos). One day I probably maybe wont might edit it. Enjoy guys, I hope this was worth waiting a year for.

* * *

Alice swallowed hard as she walked down the festively decorated corridor. The burning from her stomach had not yet let up, and with every step she took another painful memory sprang up in her mind. Soon, the physical pain radiating from her stomach was being overshadowed by her fears.

_Tarrant._ Alice thought sadly, _I could have run away with him if only I wasn't so stupid!_ Tears began to well up in her eyes, but she blinked them back.

_That man… That man.. Jonas, _she thought, scowling. _I… I remember…_

With a painful throb in her stomach, she doubled over, dropping to her knees. She remembered being in that room with that man. All her memories were rushing back to her, her head felt like it was going to explode. She was laying in that bed, and that man, he, he came inside the room.

"Hello, my dear Ivory," King Jonas said. He was a faceless figure standing in the doorway, bright white light rushing in from the hall. She squinted, trying to make out more than his figure and dust particles floating through the air.

"Wha-," Alice began, her head pounding. She was so groggy, she just wanted to sleep. The man shut the door, and suddenly Alice was blinded by the darkness of this room. There was a light tapping sound as he walked over to her bed. She vaguely noticed him sitting on the edge of it.

"How are you feeling, dear?" He asked, his voice pure silk. Alice looked up at this handsome man, he was a King, wasn't he? Alice tried to speak, but no words came from her mouth. She tried to sit up, but her muscles ached and throbbed like she had just run a marathon. The man put his hand on her shoulder, and she realized how cold she was.

She shivered at his touch, the heat seemingly radiating from his hand, warming her shoulder. The touch was nice, it made her smile. His hands reminded her of Tarrant's. She smiled, still in her daze as his hand started rubbing small circles on her shoulder, warming her up. She looked to the ceiling, thinking about her very mad lover.

"Tarrant," she mumbled, as his hand went a little lower, feeling her breasts. A flush crossed her face, her mind hazy. Immediately, his hand stopped rubbing and her face stung. The man had striked her across the face in a fluid motion.

"You will not speak his name," the man said in a low, threatening voice. Alice shivered in fear, looking up at the man. He grabbed a fistful of her hair, pulling her head back at an awkward angle.

"Agh," Alice mumbled, tears in her eyes. The man put a knee between her legs, moving his body over hers. He put his face down to her neck, and bit the flesh there. She could feel his erection digging into her stomach, and it filled her heart with fear.

"Although I know you're enjoying our time here, I can assure you I won't take your virtue. I won't take it until you beg me to," his hot breath on her neck made her cringe, his lips moving against the flesh there. He rolled his hips, grinding his erection against her. She whimpered, not sure whether she was frozen with fear or it was the strange fog that was trapping her muscles earlier, refusing to let her move.

"N-No," Alice choked out, her skin burning with rage.

"Very well," the King said, and he let himself off the bed. "I will see you in the morning." Alice laid there, frozen in fear, as she heard the light tapping of his shoes as he left the room. The strange paralysis was still over her body, and her skin burned everywhere that horrible man had touched her. A painful throb in her stomach and she was back in the corridor of the castle, kneeling in pain.

She sucked in a quick breath and stood, looking around to make sure nobody had spotted her. She rushed down the hall, but her physical pain was slowly ebbing away, replaced with a white hot layer of shame.

She heard a tapping down the corridor, presumably somebody coming to find her. She gasped, and looked around, opening the first door she could find and jumping in, shutting it as quietly as she could behind her.

She didn't even bother to look around the room as she listened with her ear to the door, as the footsteps passed. She thought she could hear some mumbling, but the harder she listened the less she could hear as they walked away. She sighed in relief, but before she could open the door to step back into the hall an icy cold hand grabbed her arm. She turned around quickly in shock, ready to fight, but instead immediately froze upon what she saw.

Dark, gaping eyes, sunken in from lack of sleep; pale, waxy skin; frayed hair; she looked almost wild in appearance. Her clothes were ripped and filthy. Alice quickly looked away, her heart shriveling with fear. She looked at the hand grabbing her arm.

Long, cracked fingernails caked with dirt spouted from bony hands crisscrossed with protruding veins and tendons. Her wrists looked paper thin and were covered with some discolored scarring. Alice swallowed hard, her back hitting the door. The thing about Mirana, the White Queen's new appearance that caught her eye more than anything else, however, was the beautiful, diamond-studded wedding ring on her ring finger, so oversized it looked as though it was ready to fall off, but there nonetheless.

* * *

"What do you have for me, Mally?" Tarrant asked as she crawled under the castle's large outer barrier, covered in dirt.

"It looks like they're preparing for a wedding," Mallymkun responded, patting the dirt off of her front. She eyed the scowling Tarrant hungrily.

"I can't believe he would do all this so soon," Tarrant said, worry etching its way into his voice. "I guess there's only one thing we can do."

"You mean try to sneak in?" One of Bayard's no-longer-pup's asked. "You know that's a long shot, even for us." Tarrant shook his head, his fingernails showing his conflicting emotions as they rapidly changed color.

"We can always storm the castle," the Bandersnatch said, his voice like a low growl. Tarrant shook his head.

"I will not endanger Alice's life like that, I would never forgive myself if that madman hurt her," he said, his voice dangerously low.

"Well," Mally squeaked, a small smile on her face. "I did notice something else I think might interest you all. Everyone immediately looked to her, interested in what she had to say.

* * *

Alice looked at what remained of the White Queen, sorrow deep in her eyes.

"I-I can't believe this has happened to you," Alice said, her voice wavering slightly. The White Queen smiled, her lips still full and red despite it all. The smile looked foreign on her face.

"Don't feel sorry for me," she said, her cold hand still on Alice's shoulder. "I wanted this all along, didn't I?"

"What?" Alice asked, bewildered. "No, you can escape with me, he, he wants to marry me, I think he drugged me, Tarrant will save us." The White Queen raised an eyebrow, the hint of a smile on her worn face.

"Did he finally confess his feelings to you then? I should have known," she said, her voice rough. She shook her head a little bit, her neck audibly creaking. Alice shuddered at the sound.

"I-yes. W-We had been staying together," Alice said slowly, blushing furiously.

"This King is not from our land, he's from a rivaling country. They're not like us there, Alice. They feed off of the positive emotions of others. I made the mistake for falling for him during a conference. I should have known, in fact, I did know. Don't worry about him marrying you Alice, it will never happen."

"You don't understand," Alice whined, swallowing hard. "Do you not know? The ceremony is in an hour," she let her voice trail off. Instead of saying anything, the White Queen held up her left hand from Alice's arm, displaying the beautiful ring on her finger. "Oh," Alice said, examining the bright ring closer.

"He can't marry you, Alice. He's already married me." Alice's eyes grew wide with shock. "A marriage is the ultimate feast to his kind, the high emotions all around. But it's okay. Go ahead with your marriage, I know how to defeat his kind."

Alice wanted to ask her more, but before she knew it the White Queen had pushed her out of the room and slammed the door shut behind her.

* * *

Tarrant adjusted his top hat nervously, Mally whispering words of encouragement as he waited for an opening to scurry from his bush to the next in the line. He hated going for this with nobody but Mally, but if she was right, it would all play out nicely. He swallowed, mad thoughts racing throughout his head.

_What if she never drank the liquid?_ Tarrant thought nervously. _Maybe she likes it there,_ a particularly snide voice in his head commented. He shook his head, making that voice silence. _You saw him,_ the voice piped up again as he ran to the next bush and hiding behind it. Everyone was so busy getting food the caterers put out or finding the best seat he probably could have just walked out there and sat down, but it would be too risky.

Tarrant smacked himself on the side of the head, in an effort to silence the voice once and for all.

"What are you _doing?!_" Mally whispered furiously, her brains scrambled. "Remember who the enemy is!"

"Sorry, dear," Tarrant mumbled, settling on the perfect hiding bush. At least if it came to it, he could jump out and defend Alice, but Mally seemed pretty confident he would get an opening to grab Alice and run.

Tarrant's line of thought abruptly stopped as the man he hated most in the world walked out of the castle. Everyone immediately ran to their seats and stood and he slowly walked down the aisle, a charming smile on his face. If Tarrant didn't know any better, he would have thought it was sincere.

Alice gulped, swallowing what felt like a dry lump. A sheen of sweat was over her body as she stepped out onto the aisle. Nobody seemed to notice as everyone was gazing at the King, dreamy looks in their eyes. Alice recognized none of them as residents… They must have all came from the same place he did. They all resembled him in some way, their beautiful faces and extremely overdressed clothes might have been it. One of the hideous creatures that led her to the palace was seated at a piano, and started playing some notes when he saw her.

Alice let out a whimper that would have been audible if not for the music and the crowd's little Oooohs and Aaaahs. One foot in front of the other, she stepped her way down the aisle, until she was standing next to him. The look on his face, that some might mistake for love, looked like hunger to her. She shuddered, remembering their time in the bedroom nights ago.

Alice looked deeper into his eyes and realized that something was wrong. His smile turned into a frown as he gazed upon her.

"What's wrong, Darling?" He asked, his face was twisted, looking anything but beautiful at the moment. The sight scared Alice.

"N-Nothing," Alice began, her eyes darting around, trying to find an escape. What was wrong? She was acting as natural as she could. She could see the rage blooming behind his eyes, and she felt scared.

"You don't love me anymore," he stated coldly, glaring at her. Her eyes widened, and she took a step back. There was a loud gasp the audience collectively shared.

"W-What, yes," Alice began, but he cut her off.

"Don't lie, I can smell it on you," he said, his voice barely a whisper. Alice had never seen anyone look more furious than he did right now. She looked around at the crowd, and noticed all the beautiful attendants were looking positively ravenous.

"You promised us a feast!" A woman screamed, her voice hitting a bloodcurdling note. The King looked scared now, looking at all of his people and their faces.

"We travelled for this! We trusted you!" A man yelled, and others screamed in agreement.

"You all seem very upset," an icy voice said, somehow prominent amongst all the yelling. Everyone stopped and looked behind them, at the source of the noise.

The White Queen stood there, and yet despite her weak and frail appearance, she never beamed as much confidence. Her dress was now nothing but dirty rags, but Alice could tell how it used to look just like hers.

"Did your beloved King not tell you this wedding was a sham?" Mirana said casually, her hand wiping a speck of dust off of an ornate flower arrangement.

"What is this," a woman sneered from the crowd, her voice bloodthirsty. Although Mirana should have been fearing for her life at the idea of being ripped limb from limb by this angry mob, she just smiled.

"Your selfish, selfish King decided to take me as his wife, and feed off of my emotions, solely. I can't imagine why he didn't invite any of you. My, my, you all look so," she paused for a moment and pursed her lips, as if searching for the right word. "Ravenous," she finally decided on with a smile.

"It's not true!" The King stated, his voice, although loud, was laced with fear. Mirana smiled and did the only thing that needed to be done to persuade the crowd to rip the King to shreds. She held up her left hand, her beautiful ring shimmering in the sunlight.

Alice gasped as a warm hand grabbed her arm, pulling her into safety. Her heart lit on fire when she saw Tarrant's face, his eyes warm with emotion for her. Her eyes welled up with tears as they ran away together, hand-in-hand. They ran until the evil King's screams of pain and terror were but a memory.

They ran out of the courtyard, and Alice noted how it seemed oddly empty. Every other time she had seen it, it was bustling with life. She silently hoped to see it that way again. While they ran, they said nothing. There was no time to rejoice at the feeling of being reunited. They just had to get out of there.

As they exited the outer wall of the castle, Alice's heart warmed as she saw her old friends. There was no time at the moment for chit chat, however. Tarrant quickly informed Bayard and his children of the situation, and they sprang into action, storming the castle with the Bandersnatch. Tarrant took off his top hat, letting Mally out.

"You go get her to safety," Mally squeaked, eyeing Alice distastefully. "We'll run those bastards out."

"Thank you," Tarrant said, his voice warm. Alice noticed how Mally stood up a little taller before running to catch up with the rest of them, waving her sword around ferociously.

Alice took her last glance at the castle as Tarrant led her away, his arm over her shoulder. She had never felt safer than now, being led away from that hell. She swallowed, willing the tears to not come as he leaned in and kissed her cheek. Everything was going to be okay now, everything will be all right, she repeated in her head, her personal mantra.

* * *

Alice could not keep the tears from falling as they approached Tarrant's quirky home. Her body was a vessel being filled with all these memories she did not want to give light to. Tarrant looked at her with concern as the tears started falling, soaking her cheeks in their warm, salty wake.

"Alice, my dear Alice," Tarrant mumbled into her hair, embracing her. He lightly pet the back of her head as he let her cry it out. Eventually, it felt like her tears would not stop.

_You have to tell him,_ a bold voice said in her mind, making her shiver and cry harder. She felt Tarrant put an arm around her shoulders and another underneath her knees as he picked her up, bridal style. She wrapped her arms around his strong shoulders, shaking with sobs.

Tarrant carried her ever-so-carefully up the stairs and laid her down on their bed. She whimpered as he laid her down, not letting go of her hold on him. He laid down next to her, wishing he could take the pain away. He wished he could have saved her from having to go through that. He wanted to wash away the pain she felt. The look of her thin wrists sickened him.

"I'm sorry," Tarrant began, giving her frail wrist a quick kiss. "I'm so sorry," he continued, kissing down her forearm.

"T-Tarrant," Alice began, shuddering. He had to know. He wouldn't love her anymore but he had to know. "I am sorry," she stated, and her heart stopped beating as his lips froze on her arm. He gave her one last kiss before looking up, into her eyes.

"You, my dear," he said, kissing her warm cheek. "Have absolutely nothing to be sorry for. I failed you." He stated, feeling the cold coils of shame wrap around his body. He was surprised when Alice started shaking her head.

"No, I-I," she began, her face reddening. "I can't tell you." Tarrant felt a shiver go down his spine.

"What do you mean? Did something happen to you?" He began, his warm hands feeling all over her slender frame, as if checking for breaks. She started shaking her head, but her sobs gave her away.

"You won't want me if I told you," Alice finally choked out, her face buried in his chest. Finally, realization dawned on him, and it was as if his bones were made of ice. He shivered, looking down at Alice, wanting to look into her eyes.

"D-did that man," Tarrant began, unsure of how to ask this. "Did he touch you, Alice?" Tarrant asked, fear alive in his eyes. She wailed loudly at the sound of his voice, which confirmed his thoughts. Tarrant held her closely to his body for what felt like an eternity. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know what to do. He just wanted to be there for his Alice. Finally, she spoke.

"I feel so ugly," Alice said, summing up all the pain she felt in four little words. Her words stabbed Tarrant in the heart.

"Alice," Tarrant said, sitting up. Alice said flat on her back, looking up at him, her lip quivering. Tarrant had never before seen anyone look so frail. "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life. You are so strong." Alice closed her eyes, as if trying to be anywhere but there. Tarrant leaned in, kissing her neck. "You are so beautiful," he began, his warm kissing dancing on her skin.

Alice shifted under him, audibly letting out a little moan. He rubbed her arms with his hands as he straddled her hips, gazing down lovingly at her. "_So beautiful_," he mumbled, leaning down, painting her body with his kisses. Everywhere his mouth touched felt alive to Alice. It was the first _real_ sensation she had since downing that liquid.

He nibbled and sucked on her collar bone, enjoying the noises she was making. Boldly he let his hands travel to her breasts, rubbing them over the fabric of her beautiful dress. Alice blushed furiously, her legs twitching at the pleasurable sensations. He squeezed them gently, and Alice did not think she had ever felt anything more pleasurable than his rough hands toughing her.

Alice sat up to let him unzip the back of her dress, and he got off of her only long enough to remove the fabric of it. Tarrant dully made note of the fact that she had absolutely nothing on underneath it. The King obviously had some plans for her on their wedding night, he thought with a shudder.

Tarrant looked down on her naked form, his eyes hungry. The flush on her face was travelling down her chest, her perfect pink nipples were pert from her excitement. He smiled as his eyes travelled lower, down her navel, to her little mound covered in a dusting of blonde hairs.

Alice could feel Tarrant hardening against her leg, which sent a spark of pleasure between her legs. Tarrant did not take his eyes off of her as he stood again to undress himself. Alice blushed, enjoying the attention he was giving her. Even though she had seen him naked before, she couldn't stare as openly as he had.

Her breathing picked up as he placed one knee and then another between her legs. His fully erect cock was reddening at the tip, showing her how aroused just looking at her body was making him. She spread her legs, allowing him access. Instead of plunging right in, like she thought he was supposed to do, instead he let his fingers travel down to her mound. He played with the hair there for a second as he leaned forward, resting his weight on his free elbow and giving Alice a warm kiss to her mouth.

"Let me know if I'm hurting you," he said, his voice taking on a certain husky tone to it that made her shiver.

She twitched a little from the feeling as he experimentally rubbed her clit, the feeling shooting like lightening from the contact to the pleasure center in her brain. Tarrant was shocked, and so unbelievably _hard _at the warm wetness that was Alice's clit. He rubbed the warm flesh there, his fingers already slick with her excitement. He smiled at how her blush deepened. She spread her legs even farther, letting him know it was all his.

He trailed his finger down in a line further, until he reached her entrance. He slowly worked in his finger, loving how it made Alice squirm with anticipation. She was so unbelievably tight and warm, he shuddered and he slowly fingered her, getting her used to the feeling. Using every ounce of patience he possessed he waited until she begged for more, when he slipped in another finger.

She was so slick and so hot and when she started moaning underneath him and bucking her hips he knew he couldn't wait any longer. He pulled out his fingers, loving the little sigh that fell from her lips. He rubbed the excess wetness from his fingers on his length and hissed at the contact. He was so hard it was almost starting to hurt, he heard his pulse in his ears and knew he needed to get his release soon.

His lips lightly bit and suckled at her neck, and the fingers that had invaded her were now playing with her breast, gently squeezing and playing with the nipple. He hoped this would be enough to distract her from the pain.

They shared a shudder as his cock hit against her entrance, and he might have bit her neck a bit harder than was called for the way she gasped. He licked the area apologetically as he let the head of his cock slide into her. He inhaled deeply to calm himself. It felt like every nerve was on fire. It took everything he had to not force his way in and use her body to pleasure himself.

He rested his forehead in the junction where her neck met her shoulder and _slowly_ pushed more of himself inside, his mouth watering at the feeling.

Alice shuddered at the feeling as he slowly filled her up. Finally, he had his cock fully sheathed inside of her, and he pulled out. She moaned loudly at the rubbing sensation, and he rolled his hips towards hers again, and she savored the feeling of him inside the deepest part of her.

Tarrant was in heaven, there was no other way to describe the feeling. Alice was so impossibly tight against his cock, he knew he wouldn't be able to last long. He swallowed, letting the speed of his thrusts pick up. He kissed her mouth, licking her lips, begging for entrance. She opened her mouth, and their tongues slid sensually together as he thrust into her, claiming her for his own.

Alice wrapped her legs around his hips, her mind in pure ecstasy. She moaned loudly as he hit all the pleasurable spots inside her with his cock, each one sending a jolt of pleasure up her spine. She started to roll her hips with him, meeting each thrust, letting his cock get just _that_ much deeper inside of her.

She started to sweat as she felt the sensation build, starting in her stomach and spreading. She dug her nails into Tarrant's back, moaning loudly. He picked up the speed, his hips snapping in and out of her of their own accord, completely lost in his pleasure. Every bump and ridge inside her got him that much closer to losing control.

Alice let out a loud moan, feeling her walls clench down on him in her orgasm. She held onto him tight, digging her nails into his back harder as her walls started pulsating around him, each pulse giving her a shot a pleasure.

When Tarrant felt her walls clamp down on him it was all over. He held onto her and thrust inside her one, two, three times more and he was spilling his seed inside her. She flushed, shuddering at the warm sensation of being filled up with his cum.

They laid there panting in each other's arms, not wanting to let each other go ever again. Alice smiled, giving Tarrant a final kiss on the lips. He smiled, wincing slightly at the feeling of his sensitized cock sliding out of her. Alice sat up, watching him as he cleaned himself off.

"Do you see something you fancy?" Tarrant asked with a smile, making Alice laugh.

"Oh yes," Alice said with a smile, throwing a pillow depicting an ornate hat at him. "Just the man I am absolutely in love with." Tarrant stopped for a moment and looked at her with a huge, gap-toothed grin.

"I love you too, Alice dear," he said as he went to rejoin her on the bed.

* * *

Well, there you have it, guys. Thanks for believing in my ability to put together a semi halfway decent story.


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